I'm wondering if anyone has come across any sort of metronome product that has an option to occasionally go silent for a short period of time, and then resume clicking?

Basically I want to be able to practice to the metronome, have it go silent at some point (while it's still keeping time), and then see how close to staying on beat I was when the volume comes back on.

Kinda the same idea as when you tap your foot along to the radio in your car, turn the volume low for a bit, then bring it back up to see if you stayed on beat.

You will probalby get a flase sense of how good you are because if you are off ar all you will be back on within a half beat or so and this will cause you to think you stayed on beat.

That's unlikely to be a problem given that most clicks can be programmed to sound different pitches on different beats. You'd have to have very bad timing problems to be dropping entire beats.
I've never come across a stand alone metronome that can be programmed to include entire measures of silence. I'd agree with oops,; if you can, use a software program or drum machine, either to play along to, or to record mp3 click tracks.

This is really old school and low tech, but try turning the click off and play to the pulse of the light instead. When you want to 'go silent' simply close your eyes. Choose the measure and beat you want to return to and then open your eyes ... did you return to the light? No? Were you ahead of it, or behind it?

There are lots of variations to this exercise ... each one an eye opener. (I know, bad pun.)

I use a Roland RPM-5 (e practice pad with built-in metronome) and it has what you're asking for, it's called "quiet count". Depending on the mode you select ||: it ticks for a certain amount of measures, then goes quiet for another amount of measures :||

Unfortunately (and I wish I knew why) it doesn't go COMPLETELY silent, if I have the volume up too loud I can still kinda hear it when it goes "silent".

Also, since it is also a electronic practice pad (with a mesh head), it may be a lot more expensive then what you're looking for (unless you also want a epad), i think they run around $250 new. Maybe there's a standalone roland metronome that has all the same features?

I work with the Boss Dr.Beat Metrnome, DB30. It has a volume control on the side, but keeps on with a visual indicator.
Works great, small, cheap and rugged. Dropped it many times without issue.

Hope that helps.

I second the DB-30, but he forgot to add that the Tap Tempo button doubles as a Mute button. So it'll do exactly what you're wanting - press the button with the metronome on and the beeping will be muted while the metronome keeps going. And it's only 30 or 40 bucks.

I've just done a new update of Bounce Metronome Pro which now has a "Go silent briefly" check box - so you no longer need to use scripts for this feature.

Here is where you configure it:

You can set it to play and then go silent for any number of measures - and can enter several numbers one after another, so if you want to play for 1 measure, silent for 3, play for 2 then silent for 4 (then repeat that sequence) or whatever, then you can do that too.

Get it here Download Bounce Metronome Pro
- then change to the Pro metronome in the drop list of metronomes in the main window - or the Swing Metronome etc. All the metronomes have this feature apart from the Basic metronome.

There's a 30 day free test drive with all the features fully unlocked so you can try it out to see how it works - and if any of you have already taken it for a test drive, just contact me and I can supply another one.